Filing a Trade Name Certificate

Any person(s) conducting business under a name other than their own in the Town of Preston shall file a Trade Name Certificate (PDF) with the Town Clerk. Each certificate will state the name of the business, full name of each person(s) conducting such business or authorized officer thereof, post-office address and acknowledged under oath prior to submitting to the Town Clerk.

Filing a Trade Name Certificate does not protect the business name. To protect the business name, you must register with the Secretary of State. For additional information regarding starting a new business, corporation or LLC, contact the Secretary of State at 860-509-6200 or 800-540-3764 or visit the Secretary of State website.

Those Who Do Not Need To File a Trade Name Certificate

The trade name filing requirement does not apply to:

• Partnerships, if the partnership name contains the true last name of at least one of the persons comprising said partnership.
• Limited partnerships which have registered with the Secretary of State.
• Limited liability companies which have registered with the Secretary of State.

Fee For Filing

The fee for filing a Trade Name Certificate in the Town Clerk's Office is $10.

For additional information please refer to Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 35-1.

Additional State Licensing & Registration Details

If you require additional state licensing and registration information, visit the Smart Start at the Connecticut Licensing Info Center website or call 800-392-2122.